Genetic seamstress uses molecular fingers to tweak DNA

THE genetic equivalent of a tailor who uses molecular “fingers” to grab onto DNA, before snipping it apart and stitching in a new sequence could lead to safer gene therapies.

In principle, genetic engineering is simple, but inserting a new gene into the right place in an organism’s genome is fraught with difficulty. For example, in a gene therapy trial for X-SCID – or “bubble-boy” disease – inserting a gene in the wrong place triggered cancer in some of the recipients.